False twist spindle



NOV- 19, 1957 c. B. KlNGsBuRY ErAL 2,813,393

FALSE TWIST SPINDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 28, 1955 FIG.

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:Ellian-lll! SSS INVENTOR cHAowlcK a. xmssaunv ooueLAs .L LAMB BY Wwe;

.SWP/v4 Y Banen uw'. ATTORNEY Nov. 19, 1957 c. B. KINGSBURY ET AL 2,813,393

' FALSE TWIST sPlNDLE INVENRS CHDWICK' B. .KINGSBURY DOUGLAS J. LAMB ATTORNEY United States Patent`` Chadwick B2 `K`ingsbiiry`-`and `I`) 'ougltis J.f Lamb; lilliz/abeth#` ton;` Tnn'i, assign-orsettiNorthAmerican Rayon Corporation, New York, N. Y., `a corporation elliDelawarey This invention relates to' falseltwistfspindlesforruse on* textile machines: More particularly this invention relates `toJ spindlesfrV applying@aahighfiand luniirm false r twistflto runningiyarnin afcrimping -processr Anrobie'ct @ofthis inventinliis-toprovide an` improved falseltwistl` spindle for 4Japplying la' highfuniforrnl fals'e-L twist toiya'rlnf- Siillanother Jobject oilthfisfinventionr is'ito provideV an improved failsetwistl spindle iniwh'ichllthe yarn does not` contact parts -which'l may rotateterrateally and so add i tension erraticallyto the yarn@v Still another objectl of ltlziis=inventionr is to provide` an@ improved Afalse twist spindle having a=rotatableItwisttub'e and a yarn coupling block securedf-'tortheuend of=`the twis'tftube, thesyarn coupling blockl'hbving:aiborecoaxial witl'i'ltliattof the' twisttub'e and-loneaonmoreilateralifbores spaced apart from-the axial bore.

Another objectl of'lthislinventionisfto provide arr-ima proved? flse twistl spindle-f h'avingia rotatable-- twistrtube and afyarn couplingeblck secureditov `the -endf ofith'e twist u tube b'yL aaretainer* inl the l formj on' anuinverted cup-like member, said retainerA having Yaitop "thread ``guide sopeningi andfiside ports-i adjacent *the* coupling blockJ tofcilitate threading up` Still another-V object of thi`s= inventiomis toprovidean improvedfalsef twistff spindle i having af twist tube `which is rotatably supported lby ball" bearings-'iny `a housinghave ing an* opening sothat` al drive: belt can icontaetfthetwistv tube.

Other and=- further objects of thisHinventiony will be apparentto` thosefskilledinthe art towhich itl relatesf from* the` follow-ing speci'cations` and claims.`

In accordance with=thisfinventionthere isprovided` an improved false twist' spindle Stor-applying aA high and l uniform `false 4twistito irunning yarn in aieontinuous crimping process. Thisfis madefpossible bythe` novel construe.- tion and? assemblytotheispindle"and, in particular; byv the novel construction of the yarn coupling blockfof the spindle which `soL couples f the runningiyarn to the spindle that each rotation offthe `spindle must apply one Ylturn of l twist tothe yarn.

The moving part of f th'e spindle comprises `a I rotatable twisttbe, a'hyarnlcoupling block rigidly'attached to the tube and a coupling block retainer-whichlsecuresi-thecow4 pling block to the twist tube. An axial bore extends through the entire lengthoftlie'twist tube, through the yarn coupling blocld andi out through the aforesaid retainer. The yarn coupling block is also providedwith at leastione lateral bore spaced apart fromtheaxialbore. The yarnn passes` through the axial bores of the twist tube; and the@ coupling block, thence across the top of the coupling block, down one side; through one of the lateral bores, uplA the opposite side and exits-throughthe axialV opening'insthe couplingblock retainer: Theyarn isicoupled perfeetlywith-the spindle yet it is not in contact withany ICC membr whiehA mayrotateerratically and "so-addftension-` erratically;` i Furthermorethe construction-*oli =the spi-ndl'ei is `'suchf that it: is fnottditiicult gto -threaditl tup; eorrectlyrf Further details of *this--invention\are1setiforthtfin thefllwing `specification,tclaiiiis"and drawing.

Referring to theidrawingbriefly@y Fig, l'is'fa sch'ematid-iview offaryarn crimping 'machine embodying-the falsetwistL spindle A1,ofJthis'firiventioni;

Fig-.12is anfelevationaltviewsoitheefalsef twist spindle;-

Fig; isi ay vertical sectionalviewv taken om line i3-31 offFig" 2;A

FigsA 5 is a` fragmentaryAperspectivefviewof the spindle head 'showingthe-'pathofttlfewthreadithfrough the coupling@ block;` and* i i Referring to the drawings in detail, there-isshown in^ Fig)` l'an embodi-ment-offawyarn-crimpingvapparatus of the -type1r-dis`closedin-Applicatfion Serial 'Non 543,361; tiled :concurrently/therewith inf-whichlthe fa1se1twisti'spindle of thisy inventionis adapted to fb'efused.

In thecontinuousvyarnicrimping-'apparatus shownsschematicall'y in` Fig. 1 :the nylomoriothervthermoplastioyarm thectype-fdi'sclosediin fUrl S. Patent Non 21,554,493.- Th'is i tension rdeviceiisirprovidedawithl` anarm12a1whichf i guidesthe t yarnf to `vthe inlet of fthe yarnl heating tube 131 whit-:h1

passes throughha i suitablygfinsulatedf'iheating'fchamberi-14-l through iwhichioilli orother'fheating fluid circulated. i

roll'Zicompletetone: position 'of f'th'e Aapparatus which isidescribedA in f greater `detaillin` the above mentioned co`A` pending application.

The:movingwpartswofitheffalse twist spindle M15 include a rotatable#` twistitube Zilflhaving an axialf` bore- 22;* a; yarn guide bushingv23securedinitheflowerendiof the axial '-b'ore andaiyamtcoupling"blocki24 secured tof the upper end of theA twist spindletubeA 211t byV means coupling block` retainer 25:?

YarncouplingrblockeZi is provided'witha vertical@ bore 26 coaxial with bore 22ofthettwist spindleL tube- Zi; andazpair of? horizontal borles 27and281disp`osed on eithersitle-rand` adjacent-'tothei axialbore 26;? The yarn coupling `bloclc` 241i' isl preferably` an insert' that is made ofmaterialstsuchl aswstainlessr steel, ceramic, or thelike," which have` suitable wear resisting andL frictional! properties: Furthermore, each end vo'eachl'verticaliand horizontal4 bore tlzrereoflisty ehamfered to i prevent. chating of the running thread. This yarn coupling block 24+is1- secured t in s the retaineri 25'fby ai press-fit or Jby seti screws, pinsgor thelike, andwretaineriis secured in al similar; manner: to thcupper', endrof twist tubef21.`

Yarncoup-ling-bloek retainer 2'5' is-van-inverted cuplike member-having: `an axially located thread guide operif t ing 29 in,` theupper portion 301 thereof? andopposit'elyi disposed sideopeningsf 311.1and32ofthis retainertpro-` vide accessi-to `thefyarn'coupling` block: when the dev-iceis threadedlupf.` Shouldersin `the upperfportion ofthew retainerfZ'S bearf-againstfthe upperA endl-of thecouplings block whenuit is: positioned cna-the upper` endi of ther twist spindle tube.

Twist f spindle; tubef., 2:12` ist: rotatably: suppnrtedt` bw the upperzbalh bearing iand theilowenballibearing 335-.

aaiees annular rubber boot 36 of U-shaped cross-section is disposed about the outer race of upper ball bearing 34 and in like manner an annular rubber boot 37 of similar U-shaped cross-section is disposedy about the outer race of lower ball bearing 35. These rubber boots serve to absorb vibrations produced in the spindle assembly and thus prolong the life of the bearings.

Twist spindle tube 21 is rotatably supported in a housing 38 which is provided with an annular surface 39 adapted to engage the outer surface of the rubber boot 36. This rubber boot is held in place in the housing by the snap ring 41 that is lodged in a suitable groove in the housing. A cylindrical bore 40 in the lower end of the housing 38 receives the lower ball bearing 35 and rubber boot 37 assembly. Washer 42, secured to the twist spindle tube 21 immediately above the lower ball bearing 35 is provided for the purpose of protecting the lower ball bearing from the accumulation of foreign material resulting chiefly from wear on the belt 16. Housing 38 is provided with a cut-out portion 43 so that the drive belt 16 can contact the twister spindle tube 21 to rotate this spindle tube.

The entire false twist spindle assembly is pivotally attached to the machine by an arm 44 only a portion of which is shown. The spindle is thus pivoted so that it can be raised out of engagement with the drive belt 16. Furthermore, it is held in engagement with said belt during operation, by the force of gravity acting thereon.

A modified form of yarn coupling block is shown in Fig. 6 wherein the horizontal bores 27 and 28 are eliminated and a pair of grooves 27a and 28a are provided at the bottom of the block 25. The yarn is passed up through the axial bore 26 and down on one side of the block to one of the grooves 27a and 28a from which it is drawn up along the other side of the block and out through the hole 29 of the retainer member 30.

In the operation of this device, yarn 45 leaving the heat tube enters the spindle tube 21 through yarn guide bushing 23 and passes upwardly therethrough in a straight line. From the tube 21 the yarn enters the bore 26 of coupling block 24 and then crosses the top thereof and passes down one side and through either horizontal hole 27 or 28; it then is drawn up the opposite side of the coupling block and out through axial thread guide opening 29.

It will readily be seen that yarn 45 is coupled to the spindle by the tortuous passage of the yarn through the axial hole 26 and either horizontal hole 27 or 28 of the coupling block 24 so that one turn of false twist is always inserted in the running yarn below the coupling block 24 for each revolution of the spindle. Tests have shown that the calculated amount of false twist is actually inserted in the yarn by this spindle.

The false twist applied to the yarn by the spindle extends back on the yarn uniformly to a point of radial contact, which in the crimping apparatus shown in Fig. l is the arm of the tension device 12. Because the twist runs back on the yarn uniformly through the heating zone where the yarn is softened and because the twist is undisturbed in this zone, a very uniform crimp is produced.

In conventional false twist spindles the yarn is coupled to the spindle by means of a pivoted roller. It has been found by experience that such rollers tend to freeze and remain stationary with respect to the spindle during high speed operation. This tendency to freeze produces erratic tensions in the yarn leaving the spindle. Furthermore, yarn wrapped 360 or more around a roller tends to roll over on itself at the point of overlap on the roller. This damages the yarn and causes tension variations and often a yarn break. Also in filament wraps which are very difficult to remove, tend to form on a rotating roller.

These disadvantages are eliminated in the false twist spindle of the present invention by the construction of the coupling block. ln the rst place the coupling block.

has no moving parts to freeze, therefore it always adds a uniform amount of tension" to the yarn. Furthermore, the yarn passes through and about the coupling block in such a manner that it cannot roll over on itself. Also, due to the nature of the coupling block, filament wraps cannot form.

The spindle may be threaded up with the assistance of the well-known thread-up wires, hooks, etc. Due to the construction of the device it is not difiicult to thread it up correctly.

While we have described this invention in detail with respect to certain preferred embodiment thereof, it is, of course, not desired to limit the invention to the exact details described and illustrated except in so far as these details are defined by the claims.

What we claim is as follows:

1. A false twist spindle adapted for use with thermoplastic yarns for the purpose of inserting a crimp therein, comprising a housing, an elongated hollow rotatable member positioned in said housing, said housing being cut away to expose a portion of said rotatable member, means passing through said cut away portion to rotate said member at relatively high speed, a yarn coupling block positioned on the top of said rotatable member, said block having a vertical bore therethrough in alignment with a longitudinal bore extending through said rotatable member whereby yarn may pass through said bores out of the top of said block, said block also having a horizontal bore passing therethrough on one side of said vertical bore, said yarn being adapted to be threaded through said horizontal bore after emerging from said vertical bore so that one turn of twist is inserted into the yarn for each turn of rotation of said member.

2. A false twist spindle as set forth in claim 1 further comprising ball bearing means engaging the upper and lower end portions of said rotatable member for supporting said rotatable member in said housing.

3. A false twist spindle as set forth in claim 2 further comprising rubber vibration absorbing means positioned between said ball bearing means and said housing for absorbing vibration of said rotatable member.

4. A false twist spindle as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a disc shaped member supported on said rotatable member above the ball bearing means that is positioned at the lower end of said rotatable member, said disc shaped member being adapted to prevent lint and other foreign material from dropping into said last mentioned bearing means.

5. A false twist spindle as set forth in claim 4 further comprising an inverted cup shaped member for receiving said yarn coupling block, said inverted cup shaped member being fixedly attached to the top of said rotatable member for rigidly holding said yarn coupling block in position against the top of said rotatable member, said inverted cup shaped member also having a hole formed therein .I

which is aligned with the longitudinal bore of said rotatable member.

6. A false twist spindle as set forth in claim 5 further characterized in that said inverted cup shaped member is provided with side openings to facilitate threading up of said yarn coupling block, said side openings being in horizontal alignment with the horizontal bore passing through said yarn coupling block. 

